Rewind
by PuppyLove330
Summary: Interrupting Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha's fight, Sakura Haruno becomes trapped in Itachi's Tsukuyomi. He explains why he needs her to go into the past, taking his Sharingan with her. She is needed in order to save the future, since Madara Uchiha cannot be stopped. Sakura Haruno meets Minato Namikaze, Naruto Uzumaki's father, and begins her journey, rewinding to the past. M: Language
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto, the plot, or its characters. I will only have one disclaimer for the entire story.

A/N: Hey, this is my first fanfiction. I hope that you guys will review it for me so I can improve my writing. Thanks! Also, I realize that all the ages are wrong. I have sketchy internet connections, so I couldn't load the Naruto Wikipedia (which is by the way an excellent source when checking for accuracy of information). Also, nobody knows that Itachi was ordered to massacre the Uchiha Clan.

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Chatter 1: The introduction.

Forest of Death, training ground 44

"Foolish otouoto. You still have much to learn." Itachi was steadily strolling to Sakura Haruno, Mangekyo constantly on Sasuke Uchiha.

"Damn it! Don't drag her into this! She's just my teammate, so LEAVE HER ALONE!"

With that, Sasuke's Mangekyo appeared, threatening his older brother, the Uchiha prodigy-turned mass murderer.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"SAKURA!"

Her teammates and ex-sensei yelled out to her, but she couldn't hear anything. She was already within the Tsukuyomi. Once within the Tsukuyomi, she looked around, desperately trying to escape, though she already knew that there was no way out. She could clearly see Itachi Uchiha, and the scarlet skies.

"I will not hurt you, unless your actions warrant an offensive strike." claimed the Uchiha.

"Bullshit! Let me go! I have done nothing to you!" she snarled.

"I'm sorry Sakura-san, but I must restrain you for 72 hours so that you may listen to my story. It is imperative that you do not interrupt." Itachi calmly replied.

"…why aren't you attacking me yet?" Sakura questioned.

"I have no reason to. Listen to my story, and you will understand my reasons for my actions, and I believe that you are essential to my plan to stop Madara Uchiha. And before you inquire as to whom he is, I request that you listen to my story first."

"Fine."

"Let me begin from the time of the Shodaime, and of Konohagakure. I believe that you, ranking highest in your Academy class, will remember the beginnings of our village, do you not?"

"Of course I do. Madara Uchiha was the head of the Uchiha Clan, and the Shodaime was the head of the Senju clan. The Senju clan offered peace to the Uchiha Clan, and everyone in the clan except for Madara agreed…Am I correct so far?"

"Yes, Sakura-san. I will explain the rest. You know that they battled in the Valley of the End?" Sakura nodded. "I see. Then you know that there are two statues? One of the Shodaime, and one of Madara Uchiha. You also believe that Madara Uchiha had died during the battle, and that knowledge came from the Shodaime himself." Sakura slowly nodded her head once again, confused as to what he was leading to, digesting what the Uchiha heir had said.

"Sakura-san. We both already know that Orochimaru has an immortality jutsu. However, what you do not know is that Madara Uchiha is still alive, and that his immortality jutsu does not require him to have a new body, or vessel, every few years."

"…So what you're saying, is that same ancient man is still alive, and is trying to kill us?"

"Yes, that is partially correct. Madara Uchiha is trying to get revenge on Konoha because he believes that-"

"-the Uchiha clan deserves to have a higher position in the village. So, he made that 'Eternal Tsukuyomi' plan, and decided to take all the tailed beasts to make the ten-tailed beast in order to create what he called 'peace'? And created Akatsuki, and called himself Tobi?" Sakura interrupted.

"I see that Naruto-kun has explained Madara's intentions to you. He also had helped me massacre the Uchiha clan. However, what you don't know about the Massacre was that it was ordered by the Hokage and the council as the one S-class mission I would ever take. I am the contact in Akatsuki that Jiraiya-sama had. Madara Uchiha is the biggest problem in the history of the hidden villages. The easiest solution would be to stop him."

"Well…how do we do that?" Sakura asked.

"The issue with the solution is that…there actually is no way to stop Madara in the present time. I know that this is very shocking to you, Sakura-san, but I have proof. The only bijuu left to capture is Naruto-kun's Kyuubi. From what I have researched, the only way to unseal the Kyuubi from Naruto-kun is to kill him, taking out all of the chakra from his body." Itachi sighed.

"Wait…Then why are you talking to me, if we are going to be under an eternal genjutsu?" Sakura commented.

"Notice how I had said 'present time'. If you could go to the past, theoretically, one could stop Madara from going into power." Itachi said.

"What? That's not even possible. Time travel? Nuh-uh. Maybe Ibiki should examine you. I can already tell that you need an analysis of your psyche." Sakura laughed.

"Before you claim that time travel is impossible, remember that the Yondaime, Minato Namikaze, used a space-time jutsu, and that Madara Uchiha is also capable of using a space-time jutsu. I have created such jutsu that will send you back in time, instead of slowing time. Almost like Kakashi-san's Kamui. It must be completed under specific conditions-" Itachi started to cough, blood splashing onto his hand.

"I do not-"he coughed again. "-have enough time left. This is partially why I brought you into my Tsukuyomi. The jutsu I have created will take my life, but it is a sacrifice I must make. Do you understand? You may only have one chance to do this correctly. Also, I sacrifice my Sharingan to you. I have found a way to seal them, so that you may activate them upon will. Please. You must complete this task I give you or the world we know-"he coughed more violently, blood pouring out of his mouth. "-will cease to exist."

"What? Wait now?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yes… I do not have much longer. Please. I will begin by removing my Sharingan." Itachi coughed.

Itachi Uchiha, the grand master of the Sharingan, second only to Madara Uchiha, gave up his eyes. Sealing them, he implanted them into Sakura's eyes, completing hand signs so quickly; she did not know what he did.

"I have stolen this from the Naka Shrine, where the secrets of the Uchiha clan are. My Sharingan will direct you to the shrine."

He began the hand signs. Ram. Boar. Ox. Horse. Tiger, Rat. Dragon. Ram. Tiger. Horse. Ox.

"Wait, I want to say goodbye to Naru-"Sakura tried to finish her sentence.

"Goodbye, Sakura Haruno-san." Itachi smiled.

The scarlet swirled, and a light blue, almost like a Hyuuga's Kaiten, made Sakura dizzy, and as she clutched at her head, she fell out of consciousness.

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In front of Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi, Sakura disappeared, and Itachi closed his eyes, bloody tears tracking down his face.

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO SAKURA-CHAN?"

"I must take my leave."

"Wait a minute. Kakashi, look at his eyes! There's no more chakra there…at all! Don't you dare leave yet Itachi!"

Itachi ran away, depending on his senses in order to escape. After 7 exhausting hours, he collapsed on the ground, against a tree.

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A/N: I know, I know…stupid ending right there…but It's my first time, so I'm not really sure as to what to write. I did this until 4 AM, so I'm bound to have plenty mistakes. I hope that you review my story!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey again! I know…two chapters in one day. And I realize that this chapter is full of…..realllyy long paragraphs. Also, I appreciate all the people who read my story so far! On to the story!

By the way, Minato and Kushina will already have started to go out, and Kushina will have just gotten pregnant. Jiraiya will already have written the Tales of an Utterly Gutsy Ninja.

Chapter 2

Sakura awoke on the ground in the Forest of Death, in the early morning. It looked vaguely similar, except the trees had lost their height. She rubbed at her face, trying to rub away her weariness and headache, surprised to find it wet. She figured that she had cried when she left Itachi, almost on the verge of death. She experimentally tried to channel more chakra into her eyes. Feeling the burn, she tried to stop, but found that she couldn't as her vision slowly became clearer, and she became aware of the life force chakra surrounding her. She looked around, trying to channel even more chakra, seeing if she could activate the Mangekyo. There was a pain this time, like no other, as if her eyes were being seared. She gave a short soft cry of pain, before she walked up to the river that ran through the entire forest. She looked in her reflection, and to her surprise, saw an exact replica of Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan design, with a perfect pinwheel shape. Hearing as well as seeing someone come closer to the river, she immediately stopped the flow of chakra to her eyes. She took out a kunai from her kunai pouch on her hip, and got into her trademark taijustu stance. She looked at the person emerging from the dense bushes, seeing a bright blonde head, almost like Naruto's except much longer, and he had a flak jacket on. Upon closer inspection, she could see that there were no whiskers, and his eyes were narrower.

Before she could complete her inspection, he disappeared, only to appear right beside her. She knew his course of action however, due to his reputation, and already was swinging her right leg against him. Surprised, Minato Namikaze grabbed her leg and gazed into her eyes. He could see a Konoha headband upon her head, as if it were a headband. He immediately stopped his attack, curious as to why she struck back at him, even though she knew he was the Yellow Flash of Konoha. He kept his stance however, because he had never seen her around before, though he knew almost all the shinobi in Konoha. So, he discreetly made a clone, and knocked her out. She crumpled, almost hitting the ground before Minato grabbed her. He teleported back to Konoha, casting a simple genjutsu over himself, making her invisible. He walked up the Hokage tower, opting to use the window.

"Hokage-sama. May I speak to you privately?" It seemed as though he had interrupted a very important council meeting.

"Sure. We will adjourn this session until next week. Thank you." After the door had closed, he asked,  
"What's wrong Minato –kun? I see that there is a genjutsu around you, so remove it."

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I found her in the Forest of Death, she does not look like she has been injured, just seems like her chakra is almost exhausted. She has the Konoha hiate-ate, though I've never seen her before. Is she a genin?"

"No, though pink hair like hers is a trait of the civilian Haruno clan…anyways, she looks too old to be a genin. She looks as though she is 17. Is that an ANBU tattoo on her shoulder?"

"What? Yes it is… how could she be in ANBU? As I said before, I've never seen her before in my life…"

"Hmm. Put her on the sofa right here. Thank you. Will you conceal yourself for me when she wakes up?"

"Of course Hokage-sama."

Very soon after that, Sakura Haruno opened her eyes, still emerald green, even after the procedure that Itachi had done. She woke up oblivious to her surroundings, yawning loudly, slowly opening her eyes, until they snapped open when she glanced at the Third Hokage. She scrambled up, making Minato begin to move, before the Hokage looked a Minato in the eye.

She quickly bowed, trying to mat down her hair, saying, "Ohaiyo, Hokage-sama."

"Hmm…Ohaiyo. Now who might you be, and why were you in the Forest of Death?"

"May I speak to you privately? I swear upon my vow as a loyal kunoichi of Konoha that I will not harm you, Hokage-sama. And also, I would appreciate it if you revealed yourself, shinobi." Sarutobi and Minato were astonished. Minato was so good at concealing himself that even with a Sharingan and Byakugan, it would be difficult to spot him.

"Minato-kun, please step out of my office and wait right outside of the door. I will come to get you after our conversation has ended. Understand?" Minato stepped out, and the Hokage activated a silencing jutsu.

"Now, Haruno-san, I request to know your name, as well as what you are doing here, and why Minato-kun has never seen you before. I am unaware of any shinobi or kunoichi who Minato-kun does not know, let alone a member of ANBU that I have never seen before." The Hokage questioned. Sakura thought for a moment. She knew that she would have to come up with a lie complex enough to be completely true, and yet she had a problem. How would she explain having an ANBU tattoo?

"Hokage-sama. My name is Sakura Haruno. I am on a long-term mission that the Second Hokage had entrusted to my parents, and I am here to fulfill the mission. As for the ANBU tattoo, it is a jutsu that was put upon my parents, who then used the jutsu onto me to signify my involvement in the mission, and to allow me to join ANBU as soon as my mission would be complete." Sakura guessed that this completely fabricated lie would satisfy the Hokage, at least for a while, until she got her bearings in this past world.

"Hmm. I have heard of no such mission, nor have I heard of such jutsu…" The Third Hokage thought for a moment, realizing that since the second Hokage named him the successor at his death, the second Hokage might not have thought to pass the secret mission onto him, the third Hokage. Though, he had his doubts about the story.

"What was the mission, Sakura-san?" the Hokage asked.

"The mission was to investigate Madara Uchiha, since the Second Hokage had suspicions that the man was still alive." Sakura replied. She kept a straight face and posture, not betraying lies to the Hokage.

"And your parents Sakura-san?" the Third Hokage questioned carefully. Sakura knew she had to be believable, so flinched a little before replying.

"They are dead, Hokage-sama." She responded quietly.

"Ah, I see. So you came to me in order to complete the mission, I presume?" The Hokage wondered aloud.

"Yes. You see, Madara Uchiha is very much alive. He has created an immortality jutsu that keeps him alive. I believe that you already know that Orochimaru has been conducting experiments? Well, one type of experiment he has been conducting is to create the ultimate immortality jutsu, just to let you know." Sakura began.

"In addition, I have intel that leads me to believe that Madara Uchiha will try to use the time when Kushina Uzumaki gives birth in order to release the Kyuubi to attack Konoha, controlling the Kyuubi with his Sharingan. Due to the physical weakness of Kushina-san, the seal will also be weakened, therefore allowing the Kyuubi to be released." Sakura finished her "mission report". Hiruzen Sarutobi was astonished. The pink-haired-girl's information shocked him to the core. He immediately began to wonder how the girl knew that Kushina Uzumaki was pregnant; the only people who knew were Minato, Jiraiya, Kushina, and himself. Nor was it common knowledge that Kushina was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki. He nodded his head, believing that, due to all of the intelligence that she had gathered, that she really did get the mission from his predecessor.

"I see. Thank you, Sakura-chan." Sakura noted the change in honorific that the Hokage had spoken to her with. She sighed in relief. The Hokage believed her, which was step 1 of the plan. The next step was to prevent Minato from dying…as well as Kushina. Sakura realized that she wanted Naruto to have a childhood with both of his parents.

"You do have housing arrangements, do you not?" Sakura hesitated. She did not currently own a house in this Konoha, but she decided that she would rent an apartment.

"Well, Hokage-sama…My house was ransacked from the missing-nin that assaulted my parents, and right now I am searching for an apartment to rent." Sakura said lamely. The Third Hokage thought for a moment. She was still a suspicious character, but he did not want to endanger Kushina and her baby, as well as Minato. So, he went with the next best option. This option would allow her to be watched by the head of the Uchiha clan as well as the head of the Konoha Police Force.

"Hm. In that case, I will house you in the Uchiha Compound." What could Sakura say to that offer? She was in dire need of shelter, and she didn't want to be sleeping outside, not able to access showers or the wonders of plumbing. But, she didn't want to see the Uchiha clan,

Sarutobi Hiruzen released the silencing jutsu, and requested that Sakura open the door. She opened the door, and Minato's intelligent eyes brightly searched the room. Upon seeing the Third Hokage unharmed and writing a scroll, he straightened, and politely bowed to Sakura.

"Minato-kun. Take Sakura-chan down to the Uchiha Compound. Oh, and take this scroll with you." The Hokage finished writing the scroll, and handed it to Minato. Minato simply nodded, and walked to the door, looking back to make sure that Sakura would follow.

Silently, and awkwardly, they walked to the Uchiha Compound. She looked around discreetly, noticing the difference in this Konoha to her own. Honestly, she would know the way to the Uchiha Compound even blindfolded. But, she resorted to following Minato. From behind, he could be mistaken for Naruto. Sakura smiled. Naruto really was the spitting image of his father. Suddenly, a younger version of Kakashi appeared.

"Hello, Minato-sensei. Who's that pink-haired kunoichi behind you?" Kakashi said in his trademark bored tone.

"Hi yourself Kakashi-kun. I am escorting her to the Uchiha Compound." Minato smiled, trying to get Kakashi to show some form of emotion, but to no avail.

"Oh…the Uchiha Compound? I gotta go…help that old lady over there pick up that grocery bag…Bye sensei." Kakashi trailed off, strolling away with his pocket in his pants. Sakura noticed that he was acting like Obito Uchiha, his old teammate, and also that his headband covered his left eye. Obito must have passed away then, Sakura thought.

They continued to the compound until they reached the gate. Nodding to the Uchiha clansmen and women, Minato asked for Fugaku, the clan head, also father to Itachi and Sasuke. When one of the clanswomen finally pointed out where he was, Sakura and Minato strolled to the main house, knocking on the door. A little boy, looking to be 9, opened the door. Sakura immediately knew it was Itachi Uchiha, and froze. She did not know why Itachi was ordered to murder his clan, but she knew that it was probably for a very good reason, especially if the Hokage had also ordered it.

"Hello Minato-sama." Itachi politely bowed.

Back into the normal time period:

"Shit! Where's Itachi?" Sasuke growled. They, as in Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi had been pursuing Itachi for over 6 hours, searching for him. Every once in a while they would encounter a few drops of blood. They didn't know what to think about that, but they needed to get answers, now. They were also looking for Sakura, since she had disappeared.

"I see him! Against that tree, over there!" Naruto yelled. Itachi was slumped against the tree, still looking elegant and graceful. He was pale, and there was dried blood that trailed out of his mouth. Kakashi immediately searched for a pulse, finding a slow, weak pulse. Itachi, feeling someone touching his neck, grasped Kakashi's wrist. To Kakashi's surprise however, Itachi did not open his eyes and use his Mangekyo against him. Itachi suddenly had another coughing fit, having dark, black, blood trickling out of his mouth. Sasuke and Naruto looked on, horrified, when Itachi finally opened his eyes. They were empty sockets where his eyes used to be.

"Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun, otouto. Please. Bring me to Konoha and let me speak to the Hokage. I am dying, as you can see. I need-" Itachi coughed harder than ever before, barely sitting up against the tree before slumping.

"Fuck! Naruto, summon Gamabunta, and lets go to Konoha. QUICKLY!" Kakashi commanded. Searching for Itachi's pulse, and barely feeling anything, he sent a the smallest of tremors of electricity, trying to jump start Itachi's heart.

A/N:Hmm…..I guess this chapter came out alright….Thanks for the 3 reviews I have so far!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hi there guys. I realize that there are a few plot mistakes, and I have fixed them, as of this update. I caught them while reading them over…after posting them. Anyways, I'll try to update every 3-4 days :) I know, an intense goal…but I'll make it through somehow. On to Chapter 3!

In response to chained2love, the paring will turn out to be Minato x Sakura, but I want the story to have a build-up….Right now, I know it seems like it's going to be some other pairing, but don't worry :) It'll still be Minato x Sakura.

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Chapter 3

"Hello, Itachi-kun. This is Sakura-san, who will be staying here for a while. Sakura-san, this is Itachi Uchiha, the next heir to the Uchiha clan." Minato introduced them, even though Sakura already knew who Itachi was.

"Hi Itachi-kun. My full name is Sakura Haruno, nice to meet you!" Sakura smiled warmly at Itachi, who politely nodded and shook the hand the Sakura extended.

"Itachi! Who is at the door?" Mikoto Uchiha walked down to greet her guests. "Oh hello Minato-san! How is your Hokage training going? And who is the beautiful kunoichi beside you?" Mikoto winked at Minato, making him blush brightly.

Minato bowed, laughing nervously. "Hello, Mikoto-sama. This is Sakura Haruno. I am looking for Fugaku-sama I have an urgent message to give to him. And I am planned to be the Fourth Hokage in 2 weeks!" Minato straightened, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin, just like Naruto. 2 weeks before Minato became the Fourth Hokage? She would have to plan to somehow approach him with her mission. Then, Sakura almost smiled at his grin. Almost. She caught herself before she smiled completely, but Itachi, being ever so observant, noticed the almost-smile. Sakura glanced at Itachi, who was staring at her, then glanced back to Mikoto Uchiha. Mikoto was beautiful, and looked as though she hadn't aged a day since she married Fugaku. Sasuke had also gained Mikoto's serene and honest smile. Then she noticed the bulging stomach, and realized that Mikoto must be pregnant with Sasuke.

"Hello, Mikoto-sama. It is a pleasure to meet you." Sakura politely bowed, trying not to insult the Uchiha clan matriarch.

"Oh, Sakura-chan, don't feel the need to bow so deeply. It is nice to meet you too. Oh!" Mikoto put her hand on her stomach, smiling and gazing down tenderly. "It seems like my son seems to have taken a liking to you already!"

"Oh haha," Sakura nervously laughed. "I am curious, since I am a medic-nin, but you seem to be roughly 9 months pregnant, almost going to give birth this month, by the looks of it." Minato was surprised. He had not known that this pink-haired girl was a medic-nin.

"Oh yes! Sakura-chan, you must be an excellent medic-nin to be able to determine how long I have been pregnant! Actually, my baby is due on July 23. I'm very nervous! Only a 2 more weeks left!" Mikoto confessed her fears of giving birth a second time.

"Ah, Mikoto-sama. Do not worry. The labor will take a much shorter amount of time, maybe even half the time it took to give birth to your first son, Itachi." Sakura reassured the matriarch, smiling widely, taking pride in the relief that flooded Mikoto's features.

"This pregnancy is really affecting my brain today! Let me go to fetch Fugaku." As Mikoto tried to leave, Itachi grabbed her hand, guiding her down to a chair, before briskly walking to the office in the main house. He returned, walking behind Fugaku, imitating his father's every move.

"Hello, Minato-san. I hear that you have a message from the Hokage that is addressed to me?" Fugaku asked. Sakura realized that this was the cold-hearted man that only paid attention to his first born, completely ignoring Sasuke.

"Hai. Here it is, Fugaku-sama." Minato handed the scroll over to Fugaku, who read it immediately, frowning slightly before looking at Sakura.

"Hm. So you are Sakura Haruno. It seems as though I will be housing you for a while. I request that you do not stress my wife, as she is almost due for her baby, as you can plainly see." Fugaku walked into the house, fully expecting Sakura to follow. Sakura obediently followed Fugaku, into the guest room. Fugaku pointed out Itachi's room, and his own room, as well as his office, telling her never to go into his office without permission.

"The Hokage will give you missions, and you can use that money in order to buy yourself some necessities. I hear that your parents have passed away, and I offer my condolences. I also have heard from the Hokage that you are unable to return to your own home due to certain circumstances, so I will offer you this money pouch in order to buy new equipment. From what I understand, you were a skilled kunoichi, enough to join ANBU. I will ask that Itachi wake you up in the morning so you may train him, if possible." Fugaku explained in a strong, masculine voice.

"Hai, Fugaku-sama. I understand. What would you like me to focus on with Itachi?" Sakura asked.

"I would like if you could focus with him on his taijustu. He is fast, but not fast enough. He must be the best." Fugaku commented. Sakura agreed to train Fugaku, and he left her room. Looking around the room, she found it oddly warm, though the atmosphere of the rest of the situation felt cold. She sighed, and flopped onto the bed, before tiredly standing up and stretching, planning to buy some clothes with the money. When she counted, she found a very large sum of money, more than 3 S-rank mission pays. Astonished at the amount, she grabbed the purse, and walked down the hall, walking past several closed doors.

As she walked out the door, she saw Mikoto sitting in an old wooden rocking chair, rubbing her stomach and smiling, with a faraway look in her eyes. When she snapped out of it, she looked up and smiled at Sakura. Sakura waved a goodbye, and walked out of the door, only to bump into Minato, who was walking with his girlfriend, Kushina.

"Hi! You must be Sakura-chan! Nice to meet you! My name is Kushina Uzumaki!" Kushina exuberantly yelled.

"Hello, Sakura-san." Sakura got a politely distant but warm greeting from Minato. Smiling, Sakura greeted them, telling them that she was on her way to get new supplies, since her old house was destroyed.

"Oh no Sakura-chan! Tell you what, I'll go shopping with you! Let's ditch Minato!" Kushina not-so-secretly whispered. Sakura laughed out loud, glancing at Minato, who chuckled softly.

"Okay, Kushina-san" Kushina frowned at the polite honorific, and replied, "Eh? Just call me Kushina-chan!" she said with a dazzling smile. Then, Kushina and Sakura walked side by side, laughing and talking the whole way, with Minato left trailing behind them.

"Hey, Kushina-chan…Are you pregnant?" Sakura hesitantly asked. Honestly, she already knew that Kushina was pregnant, with Naruto, 5 months into the pregnancy. That meant she had 5 months to create a plan to stop Minato from dying, and 5 months to stop Madara Uchiha.

"Ehhhh? How did you know! 5 months already. My friend Mikoto-chan is just about due for her baby, too." Kushina spoke. She figured that Sakura must be a medic-nin to be able to tell that she was pregnant, though she was just showing a medium sized bump. Sakura froze. She didn't know that Mikoto and Kushina were friends. She thought for a moment, tuning out Kushina's babbling to the background. She would have to create a plan around that, since she was sure that she was staying at the Head of the Konoha's police force's home for a reason. And that reason was to spy on her, making sure that she wasn't a spy herself, just in case. After realizing that she was being spied on, she tuned back in to Kushina, who was talking about ramen and how much she loved it.

"Oh here we go! Sakura-chaaaaannnn let's go in and find some sexy clothes for you! I'm sure you have a man of your own to impress!" Kushina laughed playfully, even winking at the end, causing Sakura to blush. She immediately thought of Minato, who reminded her of Naruto immensely, and smiled wistfully. Then she froze. Minato? Why would she think of him? 'No. Forbidden. Not allowed.' Sakura berated herself. She was standing next to his pregnant girlfriend! How could she think of him at a time like this? It's just because he had to go and look attractive when she ran into his hard body. Shaking her head, she looked at Kushina, who was smiling knowingly at her.

"Ah-hah! Secret man! Tell me, is he hot? Is he a jounin? Chuunin? ANBU? Those ANBU outfits are delicious on certain men…like my boyfriend." Kushina smiled, imagining her man in form-fitting ANBU clothes, and blushed.

Sakura laughed, avoiding the question, and walked into the store. Immersing herself in her task, she chose an outfit that resembled Sai's, except that she had a mesh shirt on underneath, and got some new leather gloves, some kunai, shuriken, senbon, and finally, she bought some thread and a sewing needle. She bought orange, green, black, red, and pink thread, planning to sew something on her kunai pouch to remind her of her old team…..Team Seven.

* * *

Back to the normal time:

"Gamabunta, go as fast as you can go." Summoning Pakkun, Kakashi gave him orders, hastily writing a scroll to Tsunade. "Here take this to Tsunade. NOW! We don't have any time to waste."

Sasuke looked on apprehensively on Gamabunta's back, staring at Itachi with his Sharingan. Sasuke wondered what happened to Itachi's Sharingan, and why the fuck Sakura suddenly disappeared after being in Tsukuyomi.

Naruto had a determined look on his face, his armed crossed. Until Kakashi yelled,

"There's Konoha! And Tsunade and a team of medics! Thank Kami we got here in time!" Kakashi sighed in relief, the adrenaline that was previously rushing through his veins slowed his pulse to a more regular tempo.

"Gaki! Get Itachi down here!" Tsunade bellowed. When she examined him, she said, "He does not have much time left, but I will do the best I can to keep him alive. It seems as though he was sick, and for a long while now. His lungs are barely functioning, and his eyes….there are no eyes in the sockets. I've healed him enough to survive for at least 2 more days, so let's bring him back to the hospital." Tsunade sighed. She really was getting too old for this. Then she noticed that Sakura, her prized apprentice, was missing.

"Where's Sakura?" she asked.

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A/N Here you go guys. I hope that my story's alright so far. Since I'm new to this, I still don't have a beta yet...yea. I would appreciate it if someone beta'd for me. :) Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:...I just have nothing to say except I'M SO FREAKING SORRY! I have been SO BUSY! You know, two instruments, school, etc...anyways, here's the VERY LONG anticipated chapter :) Thanks to my beta for this chapter, asredwer.

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Chapter 4

"Sakura-chaaaaannnnn! Let's go back and eat ramen! I'm hungry…" Kushina whined at Sakura. Minato chuckled off to the side, examining every action that Sakura made.

Laughing, Sakura replied, "Sure. Let's go to Ichiraku!" On their way to the Ichiraku Ramen stand they noticed a boy heading the opposite direction they were walking. He was grasping his wrist lightly, wincing every time it was jostled. His innocent midnight navy eyes looked up at her as they were about to pass each other and she smiled comfortingly.

"Hi there. What happened to your wrist?" Sakura asked.

"I-I was learning taijustu f-from m-my sensei a-a-and I got h-hurt," the little boy sniffled. Looking soothingly at the boy, she healed the boy's wrist. The boy twisted his wrist around experimentally, and finding it to be fine, he smiled and offered a hug to the nice pink-haired girl that helped him. Sakura smiled wistfully and hugged him back. She let go and waved him off. Kushina and Sakura continued to make small talk until they reached the ramen stand.

"Hey there Teuchi-san! One beef ramen for me!" Kushina ordered, slamming her fist down onto the table, smiling.

"Hello there. I would like a miso ramen…that's all, thank you." Sakura politely requested.

"Coming right up ladies. Oh, I don't believe I've seen you before," Teuchi said, referring to Sakura. "And what would your name be?"

"My name is Sakura Haruno, nice to meet you!" She offered a bright smile, though she was secretly annoyed. She had introduced herself too many times today…When he gave their ramen to them, Kushina and Sakura snapped the wooden chopsticks apart, yelling "Itadakimasuuuu!" and excitedly dug into their bowls of ramen.

By the time they had finished, it was nighttime, and they both had to return. Minato had disappeared while they were eating ramen, and for that Sakura was glad. Though he was attractive, he made her nervous. They walked back to the Uchiha Compound together, both of them laughing loudly at a joke that Kushina had spared at her boyfriends expense.

"I swear, Minato reminded me of some weak-assed girl when I first met him in the Academy!" Kushina exclaimed. Sakura laughed, being reminded of Naruto's Sexy Jutsu. When they reached the door, Sakura knocked, still facing Kushina, and walked forward as soon as the door opened, not noting the person standing behind it, and crashed into Minato, again. Sakura blushed, her face on fire. She had already bumped into him once, and she went and did it again! She stammered out an apology, and Minato just smiled, walking around her. Kushina just laughed at Sakura's misfortune, enjoying a loud uproarious laugh.

Kushina, finally getting over her bouts of laughter, managed to choke out, "See you later!" and grasped Minato's hand to leave. Before they left however, Minato glanced at Sakura with an odd gleam in his eye. Sakura just raised her eyebrows, confused as to what that gleam meant, and waved back to Kushina.

Minato inwardly thought of Sakura when Kushina grasped his hand, and thought of her emerald green eyes…before he shook his head. He had a beautiful skilled kunoichi as a girlfriend, who also happened to be his girlfriend for quite a long time…

Minato outwardly spoke to Sakura, saying, "Please meet me at the Training Grounds 3 tomorrow afternoon. I must speak to you about important matters."

"Uhhh okay?" Sakura just agreed, not really knowing why, but getting lost in those bright blue eyes which were a shade lighter than Naruto's.

Sakura walked inside the Uchiha clan main house as they left. Sighing, she carried her purchases up the stairs, when she heard someone laughing. It was a male voice, coming from Itachi's room. She highly doubted it was Itachi or his father. Dropping of her purchases, she knocked on his door, expecting Itachi. What she was not expecting was a tall boy around her age, with unruly black hair, still chuckling.

"Oh-ho there! Would you happen to be Sakura Haruno?" the boy smiled, completely the opposite of Itachi, warm and inviting.

"Yep, that's me. Who might you be?" Sakura retorted playfully.

"My name's Shisui Uchiha, Ita-chan's cousin!" Shisui winked and laughed. Sakura laughed, noting that Itachi was being called Ita-chan and Itachi was frowning.

"Nice to meet you. I want to speak to Itachi…alone please." Sakura said seriously. At that, Shisui exaggeratedly winked at Itachi, who frowned.

"Hai?" Itachi said.

"It's about the training tomorrow. What time would you like to train?" Sakura asked. Itachi thought for a moment, before replying.

"I believe that 6 in the morning would be acceptable." Itachi slowly replied. Sakura nodded then walked back down the hallway into her own room. Sakura sighed, sitting on her bed. She thought for a moment, having a moment when she was alone. She wondered about many things. Why did Itachi choose her, out of all the other people he could have chosen, to be his sensei? How was her team? What happened to Itachi after the jutsu? Why did Fugaku still want to train Itachi? Was everyone suspicious about her? Sakura's head started to ache, so she decided to take a little nap until Mikoto fetched her for dinner.

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Back in the Present Time

"Where's Sakura?" the Fifth Hokage asked. When she got no response, she asked more forcefully this time.

"Where. Is. Sakura?" she spat at the group of men. She glanced at their faces, finding them completely serious as well as worn and tired.

"Baa-chan…." Naruto trailed off, unable to complete his sentence.

"…we can't find her." Sasuke bravely finished. Tsunade looked astonished, before fixing her expression.

"Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto…meet me in my office in 2 hours. Exactly 2 hours." Tsunade said gravely, looking pointedly at Kakashi. She turned around, ordering medics to come to bring a stretcher. She activated her Mystic Palm Healing jutsu, and started to heal Itachi. As soon as the stretcher came, she gingerly put Itachi onto it, and told them to rush him to the Intensive Care Unit.

Team 7 minus Sakura walked to Ichiraku Ramen, and decided to eat a little to get themselves busy for 2 hours, while Kakashi escaped, most likely to the memorial.

Sasuke and Naruto sat on the stools at Ichiraku silently, a huge feat for the blonde. But they had nothing to say. They failed to protect their teammate; their best friend; their family. How could anyone say anything in their situation?

When they finished eating, which consisted of moving their food around, Teuchi, the ramen stand owner, said, "Boys, where's Sakura? Is she on a mission?" Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other, and then looked away. Sasuke replied "Something like that." Both boys did not want to admit that they had lost Sakura, no matter how temporary that would be. They paid, sullenly making their way to the Hokage tower. They were an hour early, but they didn't have anything else to do anyway.

When they got there, they were surprised to see that Kakashi was already there, staring at his beloved Icha Icha Paradise book…upside down. When Kakashi's book was upside down, everyone knew that he wasn't even reading…and that shit was going to hit the fan. Kakashi smiled, though it looked as fake as anything. His lone onyx eye gazed at the book, his mind far away.

"Hey…teme…." Naruto trailed off.

"I know dobe. Kakashi's early." Sasuke finished lamely. Sasuke sighed then knocked on the door, since they were already there early.

"Enter," came Tsunade's flat voice. As they walked in, they notice the stronger-than-usual stench of sake and the numerous empty bottles littering the entire office. Some were stacked up into pyramids, others were broken into shards. …Sasuke, Kakashi, and Naruto shifted around, feeling uncomfortable.

After an empty silence, Tsunade said, "Well, Itachi is fine now. It seems he was actually sick. Though there was no record of it…" Tsunade took another swig, gulping the entire bottle before tossing it to the corner of the office.

"…I would have thought that someone would have caught it, but apparently not. And, we'll be able to heal Itachi up to health, though he'll probably still be debilitated by that damn Sharingan." Tsunade sighed.

The boys just sat dumbfounded, staring at her dumbly. "Well then, tell me how you lost Sakura, and give me every detail." Her eyes hardened.

"Well, uh we were just on our mission, and we were passing through the Forest of Death for fun, and then he just came out of nowhere!" Naruto exclaimed.

Saskue continued, "And then there was a genjutsu, a very strong one that even I took a while to get out of. That was when I knew it was Itachi. He apparently took Sakura into tsukiyomi…" he trailed off.

Tsunade sighed. She knew what happened next. But why was there no sharingan with Itachi? She questioned them and they had no idea.

"Shizune! SAKE RIGHT HERE!" Tsunade called. Shizune quickly brought her a cup, which she ignored in favor of chugging the whole bottle. 'What do I do now? I know that Itachi's innocent…' she thought.

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A/N: What do you guys think of this chapter? I know it seems a little rushed in spots, but this is what I get for writing like 4 sentences every other week haha! just kidding...but seriously. Please PM or review for any complaints! and compliments :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks so much to my dedicated readers who will accept my apology (hopefully!). I apologize for the long wait between chapters, but I've been writing like one sentence in between my practicing and homework..between AP classes, competitions, orchestra trips, etc...Anyways, thanks to asredwer for being the best beta ever. Here's the chapter!

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Chapter 5

Sakura was sleeping silently, like the skilled ninja that she was. However, she wasn't very aware of her surroundings as she slept obliviously. Mikoto was desperately trying to wake her up, jostling her, doing anything and everything to get her to just wake up! Finally, she just gave up.

"…ra…Sakura-chan…SAKURA-CHAN!" Sakura awakened to the bottom of a bucket, cold water all over her face and hair. Gasping for air, she shot up and looked around frantically.

"Um, Mikoto-san? How long was I asleep?" Sakura yawned. She didn't want to seem rude, so she held back the growl at being woken up from a wonderful nap.

"Well, it's just about time for dinner, so I would say that about 45 minutes have passed," Mikoto responded, handing Sakura a navy blue towel. As Sakura wiped the still freezing cold water off of her face, she saw the Uchiha fan emblazoned on the bottom right-hand corner of the towel. As she looked closer at it, Mikoto seemed to beam.

"I embroidered that myself when I was engaged to Fugaku! He wasn't always this grumpy, you know. It was just the clan elders putting all of that pressure upon him to create the perfect heir that they could use," Mikoto scoffed, obviously disgusted with the clan elders. But then, she seemed to compose herself and smiled, which Sakura noticed right away was in fact a fake smile. Still, Sakura did not want to pry into Mikoto's life and complaints just yet, and decided to just smile back. No, Sakura needed a much sneakier plan to learn information about the Uchiha clan elders, "The Mission", and why there was no other choice but for Itachi to complete "The Mission".

Sakura walked down the stairs, following Mikoto. As they silently made their way to the dining room, they passed a picture of the head family. Fugaku predictably had a frown marring his forehead, but there was almost a slight ghost of a tilt of his mouth. Mikoto seemed to only be in the first trimester of pregnancy, and was smiling brilliantly at the camera. However, Itachi seemed to be standing almost off to the side, isolated from everybody else. He seemed very upset, though on his un-emotional mask, it was undetectable. Though, Sakura could still see it. As Sakura paused at the photo, Mikoto smiled, thinking about how sour Itachi was that day, not wanting to waste time for training with taking pictures.

"Well then, we don't want to keep Fugaku waiting, do we?" Mikoto questioned, already down the hallway.

"No, I guess not…that would be extremely rude of me to do so," Sakura griped. Mikoto slid the door open, and let Sakura walk through first. After seeing Fugaku, she bowed to the clan head. Then she calmly and demurely sat next to Itachi. Sakura knew proper etiquette, especially when eating with a head family of a clan as large as the Uchiha. So, she expectantly waited for Fugaku to start eating. Fugaku noticed this, adding into his mind that this pink-haired brat, whoever she was, was at least respectful. Then he started eating his food silently. When Sakura ate the food, she was amazed at how delicious and savory the food was! It reminded her so much of home. Tears came to her eyes as she returned to eating, thinking about her own makeshift family. Team 7. Kakashi, the overprotective older brother, Naruto, the idiot probable Hokage-to-be, and Sasuke, the brother getting over his past. Missing from that now, was Sakura, the beautiful sister who was strong, and took care of them all.

Itachi had noticed as soon Sakura hesitated for a split second while eating, noticing the tears. Itachi himself hadn't cried since the first time he killed a man, when he was four. Itachi filed away this knowledge of his future teacher as an emotional person.

When she finished eating, she bowed, excused herself, thanked them for the meal, and clambered up the stairs. That was when she started to weep, though silently on the bed. Her tears left stains on the pillow as her heart ached for her family who she could probably never see again. When she heard Fugaku coming up the stairs, she steeled herself. She wiped her tears, fixed her face into a happy mask, and walked towards the window. She noticed that the latch allowed the window to open up enough to allow her to exit through it. Without a look back, she jumped out, landing quietly on the ground. Then, she teleported herself to the memorial stone.

When she arrived, Kakashi was leaving. Thankfully, he hadn't seen her. She walked towards the stone itself, and just stood there, reading all the names, starting from the top. She noticed all of the empty spaces in which there should have been names, from her time. She gave a silent prayer to each person. By the time she finished, the time was getting closer to midnight. Exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, she slid her back down against the stone, resting her arm against her propped-up right knee and leaning her head back. She closed her eyes, wishing that she could tell Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke…Everybody, that she was fine. But she couldn't. As she moved to sit up, she said, "Minato-san. I know you are there. I've known that you were there the whole time, following me. Am I not allowed my own personal time for peace?"

Minato, shocked that he was noticed, replied, "Not for now. Why are you at the memorial stone?"

"I have my reasons," Sakura vaguely replied. She stood up abruptly, then teleported back to the Uchiha compound, where she fell asleep against her will.

Minato stood outside of her window, wondering just why she was at the memorial stone. But he couldn't get over it. Why? He wanted to know why he couldn't get her out of his head. There was just no reason why he couldn't just go to his home and sleep soundly with Kushsina. He activated his Thunder God technique, finding himself in the blink of an eye back in bed, with a pillow-hugging Kushina. As he stealthily made his way into his bed, he sighed. As he settled in, he pushed Kushina's hair out of her forehead, and smiled. Every time he looked at Kushina, he couldn't help but think about how lucky he was…when Sakura popped up into his mind again, in Kushina's place. Sakura's stomach swollen with his child, Sakura holding him to her, Sakura sleeping next to him after a late night of sex…All his memories with Kushina began to muddle with what his unconscious was fantasizing about with Sakura. Minato shook his head, wondering why Sakura was beginning to get so involved into his life. He slowly fell asleep, seeing Sakura's smile over and over again.

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Back in the Present Time

Kakashi was restlessly walking around the village, his trademark slouch seeming tense and alert. Gai walked by on his hands, but suddenly turned upright when he saw someone he considered a close comrade so tense.

"Kakashi. Why are you so tense? I know that Sakura is gone, bu-"He was cut off by a terse response by Kakashi.

"That's exactly why. Gai, you know what she is to me. I know that I was drunk when I told you, but it was the truth," Kakashi revealed.

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FLASHBACK:

"Get me another sake over here!" Kakashi sang. His face showed the slightest tinge or pink, as he waved the bartender over.

"Kakashi, you're too drunk…just keep that sake over there, I'll pick up the tab and take this guy home!" Gai exclaimed. He dragged Kakashi out of the bar, who suddenly seemed sober, and he started to cry. Gai was astonished, as his comrade had not shed tears since the death of his beloved sensei, the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze.

"Kakashi…Are you alright? Why are you crying?!" Gai questioned. He knew that Kakashi would want his privacy, so he took Kakashi on the path to his house. Again, Gai repeated his question.

"I'm such a pervert…such a cradle robber…What's wrong with me?" Kakashi bemoaned. He silently cried, his tears making tracks down his mask. Gai was confused. Why was Kakashi calling himself a pervert? He had not done that before. Suddenly, he realized what had occurred. What had happened in the relationship between Kakashi and his beautiful student.

"Kakashi…When did this happen?" Gai asked.

"I don't know; but all of a sudden I couldn't stop thinking about her and her well-being. I started to care about her more than I did for Naruto and Sasuke, and I started feeling differently around her! She makes me feel like a teenager…She makes me want to just settle down with her in a forest and make a family! Dear kami-sama…I'm in love with Sakura, Gai! And-"He interrupted himself by puking up the contents of his stomach, and collapsing on the dirt on his knees. He continued to cry, though silently. Gai was aghast. Something like this had never happened to his friend. He had never seen Kakashi so heartbroken.

"And I know that she'll never feel the same way for me, her sensei who fucking abandoned her for the two bastard teammates who held her back…shit…shit shit shit shit I don't know what to do Gai…" his voice trailed off. Gai noticed that he had completely collapsed against the ground, passed out.

The next morning, Gai confronted Kakashi, but Kakashi just laughed it off, saying that he was drunk out of his mind.

END FLASHBACK

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"I just…I wanted to protect her so badly when she was captured, but the damn Uchiha got to her!" Kakashi exclaimed. He then turned around, away from Gai.

Gai was speechless, and just stood there, gawking at Kakashi's retreating form. When he recovered, he immediately went to his home to wonder about what just happened.

Naruto, during all this, was sitting on the swing near the Academy. As he pushed his toes in the dirt, he forlornly looked down and tears started to make their way down to the dirt. Sasuke was looking for Naruto, finding him at the swing. Sasuke just sat down next to Naruto, silently lending his support, and a shoulder to lean on. Sasuke looked up at Naruto, and as they looked at each other, they saw each other's pain. Their shared pain of losing their sister. That was when an ANBU poofed in front of them, and ordered them to go to the Hokage Tower. They nodded wordlessly, then sprinted to the Tower, where Kakashi was already waiting.

"Hi Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto trailed off, unable to conjure up his bright smile. Sasuke simply kept up his emotionless façade. Kakashi didn't even react to Naruto's greeting, simply staring off into the distance. Sasuke took note of this, and decided to think about Kakashi's strange behavior since Sakura's disappearance. Sasuke simply believed that Kakashi was disappointed with himself for letting yet another one of his teammates down.

Kakashi was extremely out of it. It seemed that every second was spent thinking about Sakura and what had happened to her. What had happened anyways? Why couldn't anyone find her? Was she even still alive? Kakashi dreaded to think that she was dead, but he knew that he would have to be able to accept that possibility. But….he hadn't told her that he loved her yet! Not that he was planning to, but if the opportunity presented itself, he would definitely take that chance. Whenever he thought of Sakura, his heart beat faster, as if he was once again a teenager in love. He shook his head and then turned it to see Sasuke staring at him oddly. Kakashi simply turned around calmly and began trekking up the endless stairs up to the Hokage office. The trip was silent save for the heavy footsteps of the ninja.

When they got to the top, Naruto pushed ahead and barged into the office, making the Hokage scowl at him in annoyance.

"Before you start talking," the Hokage stated, "I'd like to tell you a story."

"I'll skip all the unnecessary parts, and come to this. Itachi was ordered to kill his clan, and Uchiha Madara had forced the coup d'état to even occur. However, Uchiha Madara is not Uchiha Madara. It is actually…Obito Uchiha." Tsunade said.

Kakashi stood, his eyes showing his only emotion. Grief. Greif for his former friend, grief for not being able to protect Rin…grief for what Obito had become…He had to take this in privately. Preferably with a drink, or ten, and a couple of women.

"Wait…Isn't Obito your friend who *died*?" Accused Naruto.

"Stop Naruto. Kakashi had no idea that Obito was alive, let alone that he was masquerading as Tobi and Madara!" Tsunade scolded. When she looked to Kakashi, he looked as cold as stone. Naruto looked as confused as ever, and Sasuke…he just looked tortured. Everything he had been told was a lie, and his whole world was literally flipped upside down.

Kakashi's mind was reeling as he took in this information. How had they figured out that Obito was Tobi? He didn't know what to think; whether or not to trust what was really going on. Tsunade could see the turmoil clearly in his eyes , no matter how well Kakashi had tried to hide his emotions behind a blank façade.

Then, she heard a knock on the door, and seeing Shizune holding someone behind her, she said, "Here's Itachi himself. Just don't kill him."

"Hello, otouoto, Naruto-kun, Kakashi-san," Itachi rasped. His eyes were not their trademark Sharingan, but a deep midnight blue darker than Sasuke's. Sasuke didn't know what to do. On one hand, his brother had killed his parents, his clan…and tortured him. On the other hand, he knew the truth now, and was debating whether or not to forgive him. Naruto solved that dilemma for him fortunately, by effectively punching Itachi in the face. A crack was heard echoing throughout the room, before Naruto said, "YOU PIECE OF WORTHLESS SHIT! YOU ARE A BASTARD OF THE WORST KIND! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID ALL THAT CRAP TO FUCKING PROTECT SASUKE! WHATA LOAD OF BULLSHIT!"

Naruto couldn't keep ranting, until he trailed off, saying, "Apologize to Sasuke, asshole."

Sasuke's eyes showed turmoil as Itachi grasped his nose, nodded, and then spoke.

"Otouoto….No, Sasuke. I apologize immensely for the limitless pain that I have caused you. I do not expect you to accept my apology." Itachi bowed his head, unable to look his beloved younger brother in the eye.

"Itachi…" Sasuke said uncertainly. He took steps toward Itachi, before pushing him down, and then grabbing his arms and bringing him into a hug.

"All is not forgiven, nor forgotten. But, in lieu of recent events…namely your sending of Sakura into who knows fucking where, I'll just tolerate you." Sasuke finishsed, his voice rough with emotion. Kakashi simply stood, watching the spectacle, until Tsunade caught his attention. She motioned him over, and whispered, "I'll tell you about Obito in a few-" She was interrupted by light laughter from Itachi. Everyone in the room stared, their jaws practically touching the ground.

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Hope that you guys approved...BYE!


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